WORLD WAR I

ALLEX, JAKE
Born: 13 July 1887, Prizren, Serbia. G.O. No.: 44, W.D., 1919.
Rank and organization. Corporal, U.S. Army, Company H, 131st Infantry, 33d Division.
Place and date: At Chipilly Ridge, France, 9 August 1918.
Entered service at: Chicago, Ill.
Citation: At a critical point in the action, when all the officers with his platoon had become casualties, Cpl. Allex took command of the platoon and led it forward until the advance was stopped by fire from a machinegun nest. He then advanced alone for about 30 yards in the face of intense fire and attacked the nest. With his bayonet he killed 5 of the enemy, and when it was broken, used the butt of his rifle, capturing 15 prisoners.

ANDERSON, JOHANNES S.
Born: Finland.
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 132d Infantry, 33d Division.
Place and date: At Consenvoye, France, 8 October 1918.
Entered service at: Chicago, Ill.
Citation: While his company was being held up by intense artillery and machinegun fire, 1st Sgt. Anderson, without aid, voluntarily left the company and worked his way to the rear of the nest that was offering the most stubborn resistance. His advance was made through an open area and under constant hostile fire, but the mission was successfully accomplished, and he not only silenced the gun and captured it, but also brought back with him 23 prisoners.

CUKELA, LOUIS (Army Medal)
Born: 1 May 1888, Sebenes, Austria.
Rank and organizatian: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, 66th Company, 5th Regiment.
Place and date: Near Villers-Cotterets, France, 18 July 1918.
Entered service at: Minneapolis, Minn.
Citation: When his company, advancing through a wood, met with strong resistance from an enemy strong point, Sgt. Cukela crawled out from the flank and made his way toward the German lines in the face of heavy fire, disregarding the warnings of his comrades. He succeeded in getting behind the enemy position and rushed a machinegun emplacement, killing or driving off the crew with his bayonet. With German handgrenades he then bombed out the remaining portion of the strong point, capturing 4 men and 2 damaged machineguns.

DILBOY, GEORGE
Born: Greece.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company H, 103d Infantry, 26th Division.
Place and date: Near Belleau, France, 18 July 1918.
Entered service at: Keene, N.H.
Citation: After his platoon had gained its objective along a railroad embankment, Pfc. Dilboy, accompanying his platoon leader to reconnoiter the ground beyond, was suddenly fired upon by an enemy machinegun from 100 yards. From a standing position on the railroad track, fully exposed to view, he opened fire at once, but failing to silence the gun, rushed forward with his bayonet fixed, through a wheat field toward the gun emplacement, falling within 25 yards of the gun with his right leg nearly severed above the knee and with several bullet holes in his body. With undaunted courage he continued to fire into the emplacement from a prone position, killing 2 of the enemy and dispersing the rest of the crew.

KOCAK, MATEJ (Navy Medal)
Born: 31 December 1882, Gbely (Slovakia), Austria.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps.
Accredited to: New York. ( Also received Army Medal of Honor. )
Citation: For extraordinary heroism while serving with the 66th Company, 5th Regiment, 2d Division, in action in the Viller-Cottertes section, south of Soissons, France, 18 July 1918. When a hidden machinegun nest halted the advance of his battalion, Sgt. Kocak went forward alone unprotected by covering fire and worked his way in between the German positions in the face of heavy enemy fire. Rushing the enemy position with his bayonet, he drove off the crew. Later the same day, Sgt. Kocak organized French colonial soldiers who had become separated from their company and led them in an attack on another machinegun nest which was also put out of action.

LOMAN, BERGER
Born: 24 August 1886, Bergen, Norway.
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company H, 132d Infantry, 33d Division.
Place and date: Near Consenvoye, France, 9 October 1918.
Entered service at: Chicago, Ill.
Citation: When his company had reached a point within 100 yards of its objective, to which it was advancing under terrific machinegun fire, Pvt. Loman voluntarily and unaided made his way forward after all others had taken shelter from the direct fire of an enemy machinegun. He crawled to a flank position of the gun and, after killing or capturing the entire crew, turned the machinegun on the retreating enemy.

MESTROVITCH, JAMES 1.
Born: Montenegro.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 111th Infantry, 28th Division.
Place and date: At Fismette, France, 10 August 1918.
Entered service at: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Citation: Seeing his company commander Iying wounded 30 yards in front of the line after his company had withdrawn to a sheltered position behind a stone wall, Sgt. Mestrovitch voluntarily left cover and crawled through heavy machinegun and shell fire to where the officer lay. He took the officer upon his back and crawled to a place of safety, where he administered first-aid treatment, his exceptional heroism saving the officer's life.

THOMPSON, JOSEPH H
Born: 26 September 1871, Kilkeel, County Down, Ireland.
Rank and organization. Major, U.S. Army, 110th Infantry, 28th Division.
Place and date: Near Apremont, France, 1 October 1918.
Entered service at: Beaver Falls, Pa.
Citation. Counterattacked by 2 regiments of the enemy, Maj. Thompson encouraged his battalion in the front line of constantly braving the hazardous fire of machineguns and artillery. His courage was mainly responsible for the heavy repulse of the enemy. Later in the action, when the advance of his assaulting companies was held up by fire from a hostile machinegun nest and all but 1 of the 6 assaulting tanks were disabled, Maj. Thompson, with great gallantry and coolness, rushed forward on foot 3 separate times in advance of the assaulting line, under heavy machinegun and antitank-gun fire, and led the 1 remaining tank to within a few yards of the enemy machinegun nest, which succeeded in reducing it, thereby making it possible for the infantry to advance.

VALENTE, MICHAEL
Born.5 February 1895, Cassino, Italy.
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company D, 107th Infantry, 27th Division.
Place and date: East of Ronssoy, France, 29 September 1918.
Entered service at: Ogdensburg N.Y.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy during the operations against the Hindenburg line, east of Ronssoy, France, 29 September 1918. Finding the advance of his organization held up by a withering enemy machinegun fire, Pvt. Valente volunteered to go forward. With utter disregard of his own personal danger, accompanied by another soldier, Pvt. Valente rushed forward through an intense machinegun fire directly upon the enemy nest, killing 2 and capturing 5 of the enemy and silencing the gun. Discovering another machinegun nest close by which was pouring a deadly fire on the American forces, preventing their advance, Pvt. Valente and his companion charged upon this strong point, killing the gunner and putting this machinegun out of action. Without hesitation they jumped into the enemy's trench, killed 2 and captured 16 German soldiers. Pvt. Valente was later wounded and sent to the rear.

VAN IERSEL, LUDOVICUS M. M
Born: Holland.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company M, 9th Infantry, 2d Division.
Place and date: At Mouzon, France, 9 November 1918.
Entered service at: Glen Rock, N.J.
Citation: While a member of the reconnaissance patrol, sent out at night to ascertain the condition of a damaged bridge, Sgt. Van Iersel volunteered to lead a party across the bridge in the face of heavy machinegun and rifle fire from a range of only 75 yards. Crawling alone along the debris of the ruined bridge he came upon a trap, which gave away and precipitated him into the water. In spite of the swift current he succeeded in swimming across the stream and found a lodging place among the timbers on the opposite bank. Disregarding the enemy fire, he made a careful investigation of the hostile position by which the bridge was defended and then returned to the other bank of the river, reporting this valuable information to the battalion commander.

WAALER, REIDAR
Born: Norway.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 105th Machine-Gun Battalion, 27th Division.
Place and date: Near Ronssoy, France, 27 September 1918.
Entered service at: New York, N.Y.
Citation: In the face of heavy artillery and machinegun fire, he crawled forward to a burning British tank, in which some of the crew were imprisoned, and succeeded in rescuing 2 men. Although the tank was then burning fiercely and contained ammunition which was likely to explode at any time, this soldier immediately returned to the tank and, entering it, made a search for the other occupants, remaining until he satisfied himself that there were no more living men in the tank.